Chick Weight Research Articles

Evaluation of the Effect of Probiotics on Growth Performance in Backyard Poultry Farming

Early chick mortality is a common issue in improved germplasm of desi birds under backyard system of rearing. Probiotics is one of the feed additives to decrease chick mortality. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of probeads EC on growth performance and livability of vanaraja chicks. This study was conducted at Mangalapuram and Thussur villages of Namakkal district. A total no of 400 nos of vanaraja chicks were distributed to 4 woman groups. Each group consists of 4 replicates with 20 chicks in each. Group I was taken as control (C), Group II was supplemented with probeads EC once in two days (T1), Group III was supplemented with probeadsEConce in a week (T2) and Group IV was supplemented with probeads EC only day old chicks (T3) and Group V was supplemented with oxytetracycline continuously three days from day old (T4). All the treatment groups were supplemented with 5 beads per bird. The present study revealed T1was significantly (P<0.05) increased body weight compared to T2, T3 and control during second and fourth weeks of age of vanaraja chicks. The livability of vanaraja chicks was 87.21, 86.43, 83.52, 79.23 & 77.26 % in T4, T1, T2, control and T3 respectively. The present study concluded that supplementation probeads EC once in two days increased body weight and livability of vanaraja chicken compared to control.

Correlation Between Live Weight and Carcass Weight and Giblet Weight In Broiler Chickens Given White Turmeric Extract

The objective of this research is to determine the correlation between live weight, carcass weight, and giblet weight in broiler chickens given 4% white turmeric extract. This study was conducted from July to September 2024 at the Poultry Unit of the Animal Husbandry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University Ambon. The materials used in this research were 60 Cobb strain broiler chickens. The feed provided consisted of BR1 and BR2 produced by PT. Malindo Feedmilk, vita stress, and Gumboro vaccine. The white turmeric extract administered was 40 ml from a total of 1000 ml of drinking water (4% white turmeric extract). The data analysis technique used in this study was simple linear regression statistical testing to examine the effect of the independent variable (live weight) on the dependent variable (carcass weight) of broiler chicken at a significance level (?) = 0.05. Data processing was performed using the SPSS computer program. The results showed that live weight had a very strong (0.992) and positive correlation with carcass weight in broiler chickens given 4% white turmeric extract, while live weight and giblet weight had a strong (0.711) and positive correlation

Influence of a new saponite-containing feed additive on the productive qualities of broiler chickens

The article presents the results of the study on the introduction of a saponite-containing mineral feed additive of natural origin into the diet of ROSS-308 broiler chickens in the amount of 1, 3 and 5 kg per ton of feed. An increase in the average daily gain by 3.7; 4.3 and 4.4 g, respectively, and in the absolute gain by 154.7; 174.9 and 181.3 g in the period from 1 to 42 days of age was found. At the time of slaughter, the live weight of chickens in the 1st and 2nd experimental groups significantly exceeded the control: by 174.6 (6.3%; P ≤ 0.001) and 154.6 g (5.6%; P ≤ 0.001). The survival rate of the experimental group chickens was 6.7% higher. In the blood of chickens from experimental groups 1–3, compared with the control analogs, an increase in total protein by 1.5; 2.2 and 2.1 g/l, calcium by 0.28; 0.21 and 0.29 mmol/l, phosphorus by 0.3; 0.43 and 0.42 mmol/l was recorded. A conclusion was made about an increase in the economic and biological indicators of broiler chickens when adding a saponite-containing mineral supplement to the diet, due to the enrichment of the compound feed with minerals and the high sorption capacity of the above-mentioned supplement, while the best effect was achieved when including it in the feed in the amount of 3 kg per ton.

Comparative fertility and hatchability of broiler grandparent stocks in Bangladesh

Checking the fertility and hatchability of broiler grandparent lines is important for improving chicken production. The Cobb-500, Ross-308, and Indian River (IR) grandparent strains were studied to determine their initial egg weight, fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality, hatching weight, and chick survival rates. We studied a total of 2700 eggs from three different age/treatment, each consisting of three replicates with 100 eggs for each of the three genotypes. Using an automated incubator, eggs were incubated. Cobb-500 had a significantly higher mean egg weight (67.52 g) at later stage of their age compared to Ross-308 (64.22 g) and IR (65.05 g). Study also found that a higher egg weight reflects a higher day-old chick weight. The fertility rates of the Ross-308, IR, and Cobb-500 genotypes were high at 35 weeks (96.00%, 87.00%, and 93.00%) but declined after 45 weeks (64.22%, 65.05%, and 67.52%), respectively. The hatchability of Ross-308, IR, and Cobb-500 eggs at 35 weeks was 85.00%, 75.00%, and 80.00%, respectively. By 45 weeks, all genotypes had higher hatchability, with Ross-308 having the highest at 89%. But at 55 weeks, all genotype showed lowest hatchability where IR was the lowest 67%. Statistically significant variations were observed across strains at later stage. As age increased, embryonic mortality and brood mortality were higher. Compared to the other two, Ross-308 showed the lowest mortality in both embryonic and brooding cases in all three stages of their age of life. However, the IR breed consistently displayed the highest mortality rate. Same pattern showed dead in shell and culling chick’s percentages. Strain-wise, the parameters differ from each other. However, regarding overall performance, the Ross-308 strain outperformed the other two strains. Asian Australas. J. Food Saf. Secur. 2024, 8(2), 48-57

Effect of Incorporating Hibiscus sabdariffa Seed Flour (Red Variety) on Zootechnical Performance of Broilers Chickens Cobb500 Strain

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of incorporating red Hibiscus sabdariffa seed meal into the feed ration on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and economic margins of broiler chickens in Côte d'Ivoire. To achieve this, 237 broiler chicks of the Cobb500 strain, two (2) weeks old, were divided into three (3) lots of 79 birds each. lot 1 was fed with ration that did not contain Hibiscus sabdariffa red variety (HSR0) seed meal. Lots 2 and 3 were fed respectively by ration HSR 2% and HSR 4% by which contain 2 % and 4 % of Hibiscus sabdariffa seed meal respectively. The results showed that the inclusion of Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds significantly reduced food consumption in subjects fed HSR 2 and HSR 4 compared with ration HSR 0 (control). It varied from 38.71 ± 1.26 g/d to 161 ± 5.08 g/d for lot 2 and from 37.85 ± 1.16 g/d to 148 ± 6.08 g/d for lot 3 compared with 39.8±1.3 g/dr to 172 ± 7.2 g/d for lot 1. On other hand, the subjects in lot 2 achieved better growth performance than the other lots. They recorded an average weight of 2,334±208.6 g compared with 2,213 ± 170.78 g and 1,958 ± 182.57 g for lots 1 and 3 respectively. Over the 4-week period, the highest mortality rate was observed in lot 1, at 10.13 %. No negative effect was observed on the carcass yield of chickens fed Hibiscus sabdariffa meal. In economic terms, incorporation reduced the production cost of broilers. In conclusion Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds can therefore be incorporated up to 2% into chicken rations without causing any significant loss in chicken weight. Studies need to be carried out to improve the organoleptic quality of Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds.

Quantifying phenotypic variability of indigenous chickens using morphometric traits by applying multivariate analysis: Input for sustainable rural chicken farming

Despite environmentally influenced performance traits in farm animals, variations in morphometric characters reflect unswerving genetic effects. In this study, body weight and body dimension measurements of indigenous chickens reared in four rural communities were investigated using multivariate statistical procedures to elucidate the existence of phenotypic variability between chicken populations. The study districts were selected based on higher indigenous chicken population, geographic distance, and agro-ecological distinctiveness. Eleven morphometric traits were measured on 1060 adult chickens from the districts. The results revealed that there were significant (p < 0.0001) variations between populations across districts. Significantly (P < 0.0001) higher mean values for morphometric traits were obtained in chickens reared in the Hula (highland district) than in those of the three districts. Likewise, multivariate discriminant analysis showed that most of the variables had significant power to differentiate the chicken populations into separate groups. Accordingly, three discriminant functions were extracted, of which the first two explained 95.6 % of the total variances in the populations. Moreover, in cluster analysis, chickens were differentiated into two sub-groups: Hula as a separate population, and Shebedino, Aleta Chuko and Boricha populations clustered together. Furthermore, the discriminant analysis correctly assigned 56.7 %, 55.1 %, 51.5 %, and 53.3 % to their source populations of Hula, Aleta Chuko, Shebedino, Hula, and Boricha, respectively, showing high mixing and mobility of chickens across neighboring districts. Therefore, this study confirmed the existence of significant morphometric variability between the studied populations, which could be used as a valuable source of information for selective breeding and sustainable use of indigenous chickens, particularly for rural farmers who almost rely on phenotypic features to select breeding stocks. In addition, the higher morphometric measurements shown for Hula chickens should be confirmed by on-station evaluation, and further molecular tools should be applied to validate the genetic distinctiveness of the studied chicken populations.

Estimating Ross 308 Broiler Chicken Weight Through Integration of Random Forest Model and Metaheuristic Algorithms.

For accurate estimation of broiler chicken weight (CW), a novel hybrid method was developed in this study where several benchmark methods, including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Differential Evolution (DE), and Gravity Search Algorithm (GSA), were employed to adjust the Random Forest (RF) hyperparameters. The performance of the RF models was compared with that of classic linear regression (LR). With this aim, data (temperature, relative humidity, feed consumption, and CW) were collected from six poultry farms in Samsun, Türkiye, covering both the summer and winter seasons between 2014 and 2021. The results demonstrated that PSO and ACO significantly enhanced the performance of the standard RF model in all periods. Specifically, the RF-PSO model achieved a significant improvement by reducing the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) by 5.081% to 60.707%, highlighting its superior prediction accuracy and efficiency. The RF-ACO model also showed remarkable MAE reductions, ranging from 3.066% to 43.399%, depending on the input combinations used. In addition, the computational time required to train the RF models with PSO and ACO was considerably low, indicating their computational efficiency. These improvements emphasize the effectiveness of the PSO and ACO algorithms in achieving more accurate predictions of CW.

BERAT POTONG AYAM BROILER YANG DIBERI EKSTRAK KUNYIT PUTIH (Curcuma zedoaria) DENGAN DOSIS YANG BERBEDA SECARA ORAL

This research was conducted to determine the effect of oral administration of white turmeric extract (Curcuma Zedoaria) at different levels on the slaughter weight of broiler chickens. This research will take place for 3 months, August – October 2023 at the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry, Livestock Unit, Pattimura University, Ambon. Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used in this study with 4 replications and 4 treatments, the replications consisted of 6 chickens. The treatments applied were P0 = feed without giving turmeric extract (control), P1= feed + turmeric extract 0.7 ml/head, P2= feed + turmeric extract 1.4 ml/head, P3= feed + turmeric extract 2.1 ml /tail. The variables observed were feed consumption and slaughter weight. The results of the research conducted showed that oral administration of white turmeric extract had no significant effect (P &gt; 0.05) on feed consumption and slaughter weight of broiler chickens. However, numerically the administration of white turmeric extract resulted in a higher increase in the slaughter weight of broiler chickens compared to the slaughter weight of broiler chickens without the administration of white turmeric extract.

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's Wort) in broilers diet improve growth performance, intestinal microflora and immunity

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's Wort) extract (HPE), powdered H. perforatum (PHP), and selenium (Se) on growth, intestinal flora, and immunity of broiler chicks were investigated. In total, 504 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 6 dietary treatments, which were then denoted as negative control (NC) group (basal diet), containing organic Se 0.2% in the starter and grower period as positive control (PC), containing 1% PHP in the starter and grower period, and HPE I, HPE II, and HPE III groups containing respectively, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 mL / kg HPE in the starter and grower period. The results on performance showed that a significant (P < 0.05) higher body weight of chickens in the HPE III group was observed when compared with that of the NC and PHP groups. Although average daily weight gain and feed intake are significant in the HPE III group, the difference in terms of total feed conversion rate was insignificant (P > 0.05). The liver weights in PC and HPE III were lower compared to HPE I (P < 0.05). The difference in total lactic acid bacteria count (TLABC) between the NC group and all HPE groups was found to be significant (P ˂ 0.05), in addition to TLABC was higher in the HPE III group than other groups (P = 0.001). The highest serum antibody titers to the Newcastle disease vaccine were determined in the HPE III group on the 24th, 35th, and 42nd days of age. IL-1B and IL-6 were found to be insignificant between the groups in chickens (P ˃ 0.05). TNF-α in the HPE III group was greatly increased than the other groups and significant compared to the NC and HPE I groups (P = 0.018). In conclusion, 4.5 mL / kg HPE, which has a low production cost and is easy to extract and without causing environmental problems, varied significantly in their impact on growth performance, intestinal microflora, and immunity of growing broilers.

In ovo betaine and heat acclimation affect hatching results, growth performance and immunity of the broilers under cyclicheatstress.

This study investigated the effects of in ovo betaine and thermal manipulation during incubation on growth performance, and some immune parameters of broilers under cyclic heat stress (CHS). Eggs were divided into 5 groups and incubated at 1) 37.8°C and 60% relative humidity (Control incubation and not-injected, CI); 2) eggs were incubated at CI and in ovo betaine injected into yolk sac on d 11 (E11) (CI + In ovo); 3) eggs were exposed to 38.8°C for 8h between 10 and 18d of incubation (heat acclimation, HA); 4) eggs were incubated at HA and in ovo betaine applied (HA + In ovo); 5) positive control: eggs were incubated at CI and injected with saline. Hatched chicks were raised under standard management conditions until 21 d, between 21 and 42 d half of the chickens in each incubation treatment were kept either at optimum (OPT) or at CHS. In ovo and HA did not affect hatching performance. In ovo increased thymus and spleen weights of chicks. Serum IgG was higher in HA + In ovo chicks. From d 7 to 21, in ovo chicks were heavier body weights, consumed more feed, and better feed conversion than those from CI. The body weights of HA chickens were similar in OPT and CHS on d 28 and 35. CHS reduced the body weight of CI chickens which was compatible with their feed consumption. Moreover, feed intake of HA + In ovo chickens exposed to CHS was higher than those not injected indicating that HA + In ovo enhanced thermoregulation of chickens under CHS.

Use of corn germ meal and bile acids in laying quail diets: effect on production, reproduction, health and economics

In the present study, the effects of corn germ meal (CGM) and bile acids (BA) inclusion in Japanese quail diet on the productive and reproductive performance, egg quality, and serum biochemical parameters were evaluated. Six wk old, 480 Japanese quail birds were randomly divided into 6 groups (60 hens and 20 males / group) with 4 replicates / group. CGM was incorporated at 0, 10 and 20 % of diet for groups (G1, G2, and G3), while G4, G5 and G6 had the same levels of CGM with BA addition (500 g/ton feed). The egg production (EP), egg mass (EM) and feed intake (FI) were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in response to CGM feeding which was clear with the 20 %. CGM at 10% inclusion enhanced the feed conversion ratio (FCR), while incorporation at 20% deteriorated (P < 0.05) it compared to the control group. Addition of BA to the CGM-containing diets reduced the FI, improved FCR, and ameliorated the negative effects on EP, EM and FCR in the CGM fed birds. Feeding on 10% CGM single or combined with BA increased fertility %, chick's weight after hatching and reduced embryonic death. Serum concentrations of triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were significantly increased (P < 0.05) with CGM inclusion. Dietary CGM inclusion without or with BA was associated with higher levels of serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein when compared to their control groups. BA addition to the CGM containing diets significantly reduced the alanine transaminase (ALT) activity (P ˂ 0.05) compared to their corresponding groups fed BA free diets especially those received the 10% CGM. Birds fed on 10% CGM supplemented with BA showed the highest economic efficiency values. In conclusion, CGM inclusion at 10% with BA supplementation could be used as alternative ingredient in the Japanese quail layer diet without compromising their productive performance.

Effects of In Ovo Administration of Freeze-Dried Royal Jelly on Hatchability, Blood Parameters, and Organ Weights of Day-Old Chicks.

Royal jelly renowned for its robust nutritional, functional, and biological properties, is a pivotal product derived from honeybees. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the theory that in ovo injection of freeze-dried royal jelly (FDRJ) solutions at varying concentrations can influence the hatchability, blood properties and hatching characteristics of day-old chicks. A total of 480 eggs (54.81 ± 0.187 g) were allocated into four experimental groups: negative control (NC), without injection, positive control (PC), administered with regular saline, a low FDRJ dose group (9 mg/egg), and a high FDRJ dose group (18 mg/egg). The in ovo injections were administered on Day 18 of incubation, and the experiment was subsequently continued until the incubation period concluded at 21 days. Results revealed that the lower FDRJ dose (9 mg/egg) significantly improved hatchability percentages compared to other treatments. Conversely, the higher FDRJ dose (18 mg/egg) and control groups (NC and PC) resulted in significantly higher chick yield percentages than the lower FDRJ and PC groups. The NC group showed the supreme yolk sac (YS) percentage, whereas the yolk-free body mass (YFBM) percentages displayed an inverse trend. Furthermore, the in ovo FDRJ injection did not affect haematological values or the relative organ weight of day-old chicks. In conclusion, in ovo FDRJ injection demonstrated beneficial effects on hatchability and chick weight, as evidenced by the studied parameters.

Analysis of Consumer Preferences and Satisfaction with Local Chicken Meat in Bandung City Traditional Markets (Survey of Consumers at Cibogo Market, Sukajadi)

ABSTRACT. The demand for local chicken meat in Bandung city has been decreasing over the last five years. Changes in demand for a product can be influenced by consumer preferences and satisfaction. This research was conducted to determine consumer preferences based on the attributes inherent in local chicken meat and the level of consumer satisfaction with local chicken meat. The research location was at Cibogo Market, Sukajadi District, Bandung City. Primary data was obtained from interviews with 97 local chicken meat consumers (as respondents) and secondary data was from the journals and articles research, internet, and related instance. The data analysis method used is Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) to determine preferences and Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) to determine the level of consumer satisfaction. The results of the research showed that consumer preferences for local chicken meat at Cibogo Market are based on attributes that are included in the main priority class, namely meat tenderness, age, and weight of local chicken. The result of CSI calculation was 71.61% which means that consumers are satisfied. In conclusion, the performance of attributes that are a priority for consumers need to be improved in terms to increase consumer satisfaction to a very satisfied level.

Effect of Incorporating Soursop (Annona muricata) Leaves Powder on Reproductive Performance of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Introduction: Soursop leaves are rich in various molecules, including total phenols, terpenes, and steroids, which possess a range of pharmacological properties that can be utilized in animal production to enhance both growth and reproduction of animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating soursop (Annona muricata; A. muricata) leaves powder into feed on the reproductive performance of Japanese quail. Materials and methods: A total of 80 Japanese quails (64 females and 16 males) aged two weeks were randomly divided into four experimental groups, labeled T0, T1, T2, and T3, and received feed additives with 0 mg/kg body weight (bw), 250 mg/kg bw, 500 mg/kg bw, and 750 mg/kg bw of powdered soursop leaves, respectively. Additionally, water was provided ad libitum, and the quails' weights were measured every 7 days for a period of 75 days. At the end of the period, 12 female quails from each group were sacrificed after 24 hours fasting period. Blood was collected for hematological (Leukocyte, Erythrocyte, and Platelet indices) and serum biochemical (total serum cholesterol, total proteins, albumin, and globulin, Aspartate aminotransferase, Alanine aminotransferase, Urea, and Creatinine) analysis. The males were also sacrificed to evaluate the spermatozoa characteristics (mobility, concentration, and viability). Results: No statistical significant changes in growth characteristics or hematological parameters were observed. However, biochemical parameters increased significantly with the inclusion of Soursop (A. muricate) in quail feed, including increased total cholesterol, total protein, and globulin levels, and decreased malondialdehyde levels. This effect was most significant at dosage of 500 mg/kg bw. Serum levels of urea, Alanine aminotransferase, and Aspartate aminotransferase were not significantly affected by A. muricata whatever the concentration considered. A significant increase in fast progressive spermatozoa, along with a decrease in immotile spermatozoa, was observed with A. muricate at dosage of 500 mg/kg bw compared to the control. Sperm viability also increased significantly, particularly in live at dosage of 500 mg/kg bw. Significant increase was observed in fertility parameters, including increased fertility rate, hatchability rate of fertile eggs, total hatchability rate, and chick weight, along with decreased embryonic mortality at 500 mg/kg bw treatment compared to the control. Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings indicated that incorporating A. muricata leaf powder at 500 mg/kg bw into quail feed positively influences reproductive cells and boosts fertility growth promoters.

Effects of Carica Papaya Leaves and Fermented Fish Waste on the Production Performance of Broiler Chickens

Introduction: Poultry feed management requires novel dietary additives to enhance chicken performance and manage feed availability. The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of Carica papaya leaf meal (CPL) and fermented fish waste (FFW) in water on different growth indicators, such as body weight, carcass yield, feed intake, and conversion rate of Bovans brown male broiler chickens. Materials and methods: A randomized complete block design with a 2x4 factorial arrangement was used to study the effect of the combination supplementation of the 10% CPL with FW at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. Both additives combination treatment was replicated four times with five broiler chicks per replication, a total of 160-day-old male Bovans brown broilers with 39-40g body weight were used in the current study. The duration of the study was 20 days (from the 16th to 35th days of age). Results: Studies have revealed that CPL negatively impacted the final body weight, whereas FFW positively influenced feed intake, final weight, and weight gain. Moreover, 15% of FFW supplementation resulted in noteworthy increases in drumstick and thigh weights compared to the control group, with significant interactions identified between CPL and FFW for breast, wing, and back weights. However, neither CPL nor FFW had an impact on the weights of edible visceral organs. The palatability of meat quality assessment showed no significant difference among the treatments. Adding CPL and FFW increased weights and profits, with the best rate of intake observed in broilers given the standard diet plus 15% of FFW supplementation. Conclusion: These results indicated that using CPL and FFW at 10% and 15%, respectively was a financially feasible approach to improve broiler development, carcass quality, and profitability while capitalizing on nutritional advantages and reducing environmental waste.

Effects of cassava root meal on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, organ and intestinal indices, and slaughter performance of yellow-feathered broiler chickens.

With the global population growth and shortage of food, the competition between humans and animal for food will become increasingly fierce. Therefore, the development of unconventional energy feed cassava feed is of great significance. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cassava root meal (CRM) on the growth performance, apparent digestibility, and organ and intestinal indices of broiler chickens. A total of 140 one-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups [control diet (CT), 15% CRM (CRM15), 30% CRM (CRM30), and 45% CRM (CRM45)] with five replicates of seven birds per replicate. The results showed that the body weight of broiler chickens fed diets containing CRM were significantly lower than that in the CT group at 21 and 42days of age, the average daily gain and average daily feed intake in the CRM group were significantly lower than those in the CT group from 1 to 21days of age. However, from days 22 to 42, there were no significant differences between CRM15 and CT birds regarding average daily gain and average daily feed intake. but there was no difference in feed conversion rate between the CRM15 and CT groups. At 42days of age, there were no significant differences between CRM15 and CT birds in in body measurements, the slaughter performance and the percentage of semi-eviscerated yield. The addition of CRM reduced the proportion of breast and thigh muscles during the feeding period, although we detected no significant difference between CRM15 and CT regarding the apparent digestibility of nutrients. Collectively, our findings indicate that 15% cassava was the optimal proportion for supplementing diets for broiler chicken production.

Interactions between broiler parent stock age and egg pre-incubation duration: effects on embryo development, hatchability, day-old chick weight, and yolk sac weight

Egg storage is a common practice in commercial hatcheries, but prolonged storage can negatively impact hatchability, causing a significant problem for the poultry industry. Repeated pre-incubation could mitigate the decline depending on the age of the parent stock. The study investigated the interactions between parent stock age (30, 45, and 58 weeks) and repeated pre-incubation on the hatchability and embryo development of 15-day stored eggs from Ross 308 parent stock. Three different pre-incubation durations were employed during storage: no pre-incubation and twice at the 5th and 10th days of egg storage for either 4 or 8 h. For each parent stock age, 3 600 eggs collected on the same day from the same parent stock were used for hatchability assessment. The duration of pre-incubation was determined as the eggshell temperature increased from 28 °C to a maximum of 35 °C and then cooled to 28 °C; the persistency at 35 °C was either 1 or 4 h for the total pre-incubation period. The hatchability of both set and fertile eggs and early, middle, and late embryonic mortality depended on the parent stock’s age (P < 0.001). Pre-incubation alone did not have any impact on hatchability. Conversely, a significant interaction was observed between parent stock age and pre-incubation duration on the hatchability of fertile eggs (P = 0.001). At 30 weeks of parent stock age, both durations of pre-incubation positively influenced the hatchability. At 45 weeks of parent stock age, pre-incubation length had no effect on hatchability. At 58 weeks of parent stock age, a longer pre-incubation period, 2 × 8 h, was associated with decreased hatchability. Early embryonic mortality was not influenced by pre-incubation. However, a significant interaction was observed (P = 0.003). At 30 weeks of parent stock age, both short and long lengths of pre-incubation were associated with a decrease in early embryonic mortality. However, at 45 and 58 weeks, pre-incubation did not significantly affect early embryonic mortality. Additionally, longer pre-incubation periods significantly increased middle mortality compared to untreated eggs (P = 0.035). The median of embryo development for untreated eggs was the same across all ages (stage 10). In the older parent stock (45 and 58 weeks), repeated pre-incubation increased variability in embryo development, while in the younger parent stock, repeated pre-incubation decreased variability in embryo development. In conclusion, the duration and the frequency of pre-incubation should be specified based on the age of the parent stock.

EFFECT OF GENOTYPE ON EGG FERTILITY, HATCHABILITY AND CHICK WEIGHT IN TRANSYLVANIAN NAKED NECK CHICKENS AND THEIR CROSSES WITH NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKENS

Egg fertility, embryonic mortality, hatchability and chick weight were compared among Transylvanian naked neck (TNN; 100T) chickens and the crosses with Nigerian indigenous (NI) chickens containing 75% (75T), 50% (50T) and 25% (25T) TNN genes. No significant (p&gt;0.05) effect of genotype were observed in the egg fertility and embryonic mortality in TNN chickens and their crosses with NI chicken. Hatchability of set and fertile eggs were not significantly (p&gt;0.05) affected by the genotype. However, chick weight was significantly (p&lt;0.05) influenced by the genotype. The 100T chickens had the highest chick weight (32.3g), though not different from those of 75T. The crossbred chicks (50T and 25T) recorded only 23 and 11% reduction in weight compared to 100T chicks respectively. Crossing TNN chickens with NI chickens may not affect hatching results, except egg weight. Day-old weight of NI chicks could be improved by crossbreeding with TNN chickens.

CINNAMON-ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION EFFECT ON VISCERAL ORGANS OF BROILER CHICKENS REARED IN NIGERIA

Broiler production has been challenged by excessive heat production due to climatic change. This has resulted into oxidative stress , depressed weight gain and growth performance. Phytogenic supplements have been reported to enhance antioxidant enzymes which improves the ability of broilers to cope with stress conditions. Therefore this study was designed to evaluate the visceral organ weights of broiler chicks given cinnamon-zinc supplementation in Nigeria. Two hundred and forty (240) arbor acre broiler chickens with an average initial weight of 40g +_2 were grouped into five treatments (48 chicks/treatment) and randomly replicated thrice with 16 chicks per replicate. Experimental design included T1 (modified cooler environment), T2 no administration (Control), T3-800 mg of Cinnamon powder/kg basal diet, T4-800 mg of Cinnamon powder+40mg Zinc/kg basal diet and T5-1000 mg Cinnamon powder+40mg Zinc/kg basal diet. This study was carried out for 10 weeks with environmental temperature and relative humidity of 30OC and 70% respectively. Parameters measured include; live, liver, lungs, spleen, kidney, gizzard, heart, and small intestine weights. Result revealed a significant (p&lt;0.05) increase in relative organ weights of the lung and liver in birds given 1000 mg/kg of Cinnamon powder + 40mg of Zinc per kg basal diet, compared to values across other treatments, while the observed abdominal fat weights reduced in birds given 800 mg/kg basal diet. This revealed that cinnamon-zinc supplementation could be safely used to improve the performance of birds during environmental stress.

GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIET SUPPLEMENTED WITH BIONIC PREBIOTIC (HILYSES) AND HARDCORE YEAST CELL WALL

In a bid to boost productivity, several dietary manipulations have been carried out on poultry, ranging from inclusion of growth promoters, hormones, organic acids, enzymes (Chuka and locally sourced additives Thus, this study was carried out to assess supplementation of regular diet of broiler chickens with bionic prebiotic (Hilyses) and hardcore Yeast Cell Wall (Immuno Wall). The experiment utilized a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 120 unsexed day-old chicks randomly allocated into four treatment groups (T1, T2, T3, and T4), each consisting of 30 chicks and replicated three times. The initial live weight of the broiler chicks at day old was recorded. The birds were weekly weighed to determine the live weight and weight gain. The quantity of feed offered to the birds daily and the left over the next morning were measured to ascertain feed intake. Mortality was noted. Over the 56-day experimental period, the results demonstrated notable improvements in various performance traits attributable to the inclusion of prebiotic and yeast supplements, except for the initial weight, which exhibited not statistically significant (P&gt;0.05) difference among the treatment groups. Significant (p&lt;0.05) differences were observed in the final weight, with birds fed diet 4 displaying the highest final weight, reaching 2680.85g. In contrast, the final weights of birds fed diet 3 and 2 were 2525.55g and 2450.10g, respectively, while those on diet 1 had the lower final weight of 2407.65g. It is worth noting that as the inclusion levels of prebiotic and yeast increased across the dietary treatments, a significant (p&lt;0.05) enhancement in final weight was consistently observed. The findings of this study unequivocally demonstrate the favourable growth performance of the treatment diets across all parameters examined. Specifically, it is evident that T4, with a 0.75% inclusion of prebiotics and yeast cells, yielded the highest final bod weight than both the other trial diets and the control diet. These findings highlight the potential for enhanced broiler chicken performance and overall health when incorporating these dietary additives.